Safety device for use in connection with guard-rails and switch-frogs on railways



J. A. MALOY.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH GUARD RAILS AND SWITCH FROGS 0N RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. H, I921.

1,387,732. Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

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JAME5 A! MALUY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES MALOY, 0F COLUMBUS, OHIO.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH GUARD-RAILS AND SWITCH-FROGS 1 i 0N RAILWAYS.

To /(Z7 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. MALoY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Us in Connect1on with Guard- Rails and Switch-Frogs on Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to safety devices, and more particularly to safety devices for use in connection with guard rails and switch frogs on railways to prevent pedestrians and railway employees from catching their feet and also to prevent catching of chains, links and rods hanging from railway rolling stock, my object being the provision of a simple inexpensive Safety plate which may be readily and quickly applied in use to guard rails and switch frogs without the necessity of fitting extra parts such as extra ties, as well as one. which will be simple and inexpensive as well as strong and durable.

A further object is the provision of a safety plate of the above nature which will avoid the collection of dirt and moisture and all possibility of interference with the movement of railway cars and the like.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating my present invention and forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the practical application of my invention to both guard rails and switch frogs,

Fig. 2 is a side view of my improved safety plate removed,

. ig. 3 is an end view thereof,

Fig. 4 is a top plan view thereof, and

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are cross sections showing thepractical application of my invention, the safety plate being seen in end view in Fig. 5 and in section in Figs. 6 and 7 respectively on lines 66 and 7-7 of Fig. 4.

eferring now to these figures my invention is applied in use at the opposite ends of a. guard rail 10 as in Fig. 1, as well as the flaring ends of frogs 11 shown in the same figure and consists of a plate generally inclicated at 12 which is wider at one end than at the other and has at its widest end a downwardly inclined flange 13. This particular shape of the plate 12 is brought about virtue of the fact that while one edge thereof is straight or substantially so in Specificationof Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 16, 1921. Application filed March 11, 1921. Serial No. 451,513;

order to follow the main rail in its application in use, its opposite edge is curved as at 14, this edge following the flare of the guard rail 10 or frog 11 as the case may be, and in view of the disposition of the plate 12 at opposite ends of the guard rail 10 it is obvious the plate must be made in rights and lefts.

The plate 12 has a channel 15 in its upper face which forms a trough between the rails beneath whose heads the side edges of the plate 12 are adapted to extend and interfit as seen in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, and in order to lighten the structure as a whole and prevent dirt, moisture and other foreign matter from becoming entrapped in the channel 15, the plate has lengthwise slotted openings 16 therethrough along the base of the channel which permit moisture and dirt to find its way beneath the plate 12.

i t lengthwise spaced points the plate 12 has depending transverse webs 17 which serve to strengthen the plate and to support the same in elevated position above the surface of the ground, each of these webs hav ing side feet 18 which rest upon the rail bases in use as particularly shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and for holding the safety plate in place without requiring the fitting of extra parts, it is provided adjacent to its widest end with a depending side flange 19, preferably integral at one side with the. adjacent side of the downwardly inclined end flange 13 as seen in Fig. 2 and provided with a vertical bolt receiving slot 20 so that the plate as a whole may thus be readily connected by a bolt 21 as in Fig. 5 extending through the opening 22 which is always in and near the ends of guard rails 10 and switch frogs 11. Thus the safety plate can be readily secured in proper position without the necessity of placing a tie in position for its anchorage and without the danger of loosening of a connecting member of the type utilized to secure the plate to a tie.

I am aware that plates of this general nature have been before proposed with slotted spike receiving extensions by which they may be secured to ties, but such plates most frequently require extra work in respacing ties, inserting new ties or bridging from one tie to the other and there is not only danger of loosening of the tie fastenings but there is also danger of breaking of the spike receiving flanges which necessarily project 2 v l a 1,387,732

outwardly from the plate in more or .lessmside flange adjacent to and connected with unprotected manner. V .v oneside of the end flange.

According to. my present invention the 2. A safety plate for guard rails and sideflange 19 isin fuse beneath one of the switchfrogs havlng lengthwisespaced transrail heads and thoroughly protected and is Verse rwebsrsnpporting the plate in elevated 20 in addition thereto joined not onlyto one position and having an upwardly opening side edge of the plate 12 but also to one side lengthwise channel and vertical apertures of theinoli'ned end flange 13 and is thus along the base of said channel, said plate strongly braced and supported; 7 having a downward-1y inclined flange at one 10 I claim:v end and a depending slotted side flange at 25 A safety plate a for guardfa'ails and one side connected to and braced :by the said switch-frogs formed in one piece and wider end flange. 1 atone end-than the other, having "a down- In testimony whereof I "have afiixed my wardly: inclined flange across its widest end signature.

15 and having a downwardly projecting slotted e JAMEs AfMALo Y. 

